LGBT Duo Makes Historic Debut in U.S. Figure Skating Championship

Ice dancers Karina Manta and Joseph Johnson made history as the first LGBT duo to compete in the U.S. Figure Skating Championship which took place in Detroit over the weekend.

The duo skated to “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” earning 104.81 points and finishing in seventh place overall.

NBC Sports commentator Terry Gannon noted that Manta and Johnson are part of the LGBT community right before they launched into their routine.

“This team is a part of the LGBTQ community and has talked a lot about that, embraced talking about it this week,” Gannon said.

Manta, 22, came out as bisexual in October in a Youtube video featuring her girlfriend. In October, Johnson also confirmed he is gay in an interview with Outsports.

In an Instagram post with rainbow flag and American flag emojis, Manta celebrated the monumental moment.

“I can’t express how much it meant for everyone to get behind us this weekend. Aside from the fact that it felt incredible to put out a skate like that, it felt powerful to have a stadium of people at their feet—applauding us as we are. That moment fills me with hope. That moment makes me excited for the future of our sport. That moment will probably be one of my favorite moments, forever,” she writes.

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